pb908
Well-known
Hi, I am new to this rd1 forum
just recently sell my M2 to acquire used RD1, well, hard decision, but worth move (don't have enough time to process film)
I only have one lens, VC 35mm f1.4 which I found very contrasty and "not" so beautiful bokeh for portrait. I try to find decent 50mm with nice character, but some options are too much for my wallet,
friend of mine selling ZM Planar for 650$, ZM Sonnar for 900$, (still tooo much for my "empty" wallet), and I have tried summarit/summitar/elmar 5cm that my friend has, all are still costly and not having the character I am looking for
in the past, I have rollei 35RF and 40mm sonnar HFT, remembering that sonnar result, I always get amaze with it's character (hard to explain, but I really like it's bokeh), which I don't know why I couldn't get from whatever lens my friend has offered..
then another friend offered me mint 50mm Canon LTM f1.4 for 200$, I was almost bought it, until I know in local photography forum that someone sell jupiter 8 for 30$.
for the price, it's worth to try (and it is Sonnar copy !!!), so I get the jupiter (and slow down my passion for 50 Canon LTM), googling around how to calibrate focus (collimation) and clean it (thanks to Brian Sweney website !!), and after properly adjust the shim, it is focus perfectly for near distance and infinity.
so here are some test shots, just quick snapshot around, to show what this cheap "sonnar" can do..
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
around f22
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
around f5.6/f8
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
around f5.6
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
wide open!
all is taken with jpeg hi,film setting normal, BW setting normal,resize only to 600x400, save as jpeg compression 8, no other PP
I can say, contrast and saturation is above old leica (summitar/summarit/elmar) I have ever try, sharpness is good wide open, better from f4 and above, it flare less than the old leicas, bokeh is smooth and not distracting (is this because of this "sonnar" effect?), I really like this lens more than the old leica, and more than the VC35f1.4.
see this picture below,one sample why I don't "like" the bokeh of nokton 35mm f1.4.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
it is with VC, wide open. see that the high contrast makes the background bokeh look annoying, or maybe it's only me who see it like that.
So now, what I can say is that jupiter 8 is REALLY GREAT value for me (bye-bye ZM and Canon LTM
). and it is Sonnar copy !!(I don't know, but I feel it has the same character as my old sonnar 40)
With just 2 lens, I think I need to get something wide, maybe 21mm..
comments/opinion are welcome.
thanks !
just recently sell my M2 to acquire used RD1, well, hard decision, but worth move (don't have enough time to process film)
I only have one lens, VC 35mm f1.4 which I found very contrasty and "not" so beautiful bokeh for portrait. I try to find decent 50mm with nice character, but some options are too much for my wallet,
friend of mine selling ZM Planar for 650$, ZM Sonnar for 900$, (still tooo much for my "empty" wallet), and I have tried summarit/summitar/elmar 5cm that my friend has, all are still costly and not having the character I am looking for
in the past, I have rollei 35RF and 40mm sonnar HFT, remembering that sonnar result, I always get amaze with it's character (hard to explain, but I really like it's bokeh), which I don't know why I couldn't get from whatever lens my friend has offered..
then another friend offered me mint 50mm Canon LTM f1.4 for 200$, I was almost bought it, until I know in local photography forum that someone sell jupiter 8 for 30$.
for the price, it's worth to try (and it is Sonnar copy !!!), so I get the jupiter (and slow down my passion for 50 Canon LTM), googling around how to calibrate focus (collimation) and clean it (thanks to Brian Sweney website !!), and after properly adjust the shim, it is focus perfectly for near distance and infinity.
so here are some test shots, just quick snapshot around, to show what this cheap "sonnar" can do..
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
around f22
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
around f5.6/f8
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
around f5.6
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
wide open!
all is taken with jpeg hi,film setting normal, BW setting normal,resize only to 600x400, save as jpeg compression 8, no other PP
I can say, contrast and saturation is above old leica (summitar/summarit/elmar) I have ever try, sharpness is good wide open, better from f4 and above, it flare less than the old leicas, bokeh is smooth and not distracting (is this because of this "sonnar" effect?), I really like this lens more than the old leica, and more than the VC35f1.4.
see this picture below,one sample why I don't "like" the bokeh of nokton 35mm f1.4.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
it is with VC, wide open. see that the high contrast makes the background bokeh look annoying, or maybe it's only me who see it like that.
So now, what I can say is that jupiter 8 is REALLY GREAT value for me (bye-bye ZM and Canon LTM
). and it is Sonnar copy !!(I don't know, but I feel it has the same character as my old sonnar 40)With just 2 lens, I think I need to get something wide, maybe 21mm..
comments/opinion are welcome.
thanks !
blacvios
Member
Great catch i have the first version jupiter 8 and works great on the R-d1s
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pb908
Well-known
nice BW images blacvios, I like the first one!
according to j8 service manual, mine is version 4. from the serial number,looks like made from 1960.
the silver aluminum lens make a nice contrast to black epson body. i think I'll paint it black soon, to make a better covert packages for street shooting..
too bad, the black version of J8, afaik, has the numbering (aperture/speed/dof?) painted, not like the old ones which engraved.
according to j8 service manual, mine is version 4. from the serial number,looks like made from 1960.
the silver aluminum lens make a nice contrast to black epson body. i think I'll paint it black soon, to make a better covert packages for street shooting..
too bad, the black version of J8, afaik, has the numbering (aperture/speed/dof?) painted, not like the old ones which engraved.
blacvios
Member
From what i know, there are 3 versions of jupiter 8, 1st version silver with focusing tab, 2nd version silver no tab and 3rd version all black. Optical quality best from 1st thru 3rd with the black version being the worst.
cheers and enjoy
Black
Photographer.
I have the 3rd version, and its decidedly "meh" in performance, but I paid next to nothing for it - producing any kind of bokeh, or out of focus blur is a struggle. Its okay as a jobber, but a Nokton is the future!!!
blacvios
Member
Here's a pic of my copy made in 1958
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,,,
porktaco
Well-known
tell me more about this friend of yours with the canon 1.4...
pb908
Well-known
he..he.. The canon (some call it, summilux of canon) must be a very interesting deal for everyone. Unlucky he looks like not joining RFF, but who know if he monitor sometimes. Sorry can't help.
for me Jupiter is proven to be my best value for money.
is there any prove/reference why the black jupiter is the worst among them?
pb908
Well-known
very nice lens!
when I check on eb*y, looks like the lens with that tab, is mostly coupled with zorki 3 , while the 2nd version (chrome no tab) mostly attached on zorki 4. the black version, looks like not coupled to any model (maybe z4k?). How is the performance of yours? Any one can confirm that the tab is the best and the black is the worst?